The Odyssey is one of the greatest stories ever told, and it has inspired countless related works and adaptations over the years. With Christopher Nolan’s version set to hit screens next year, there could be a surge in interest in tourism to the locations from the adventure.
It is possible to travel in the footsteps of Odysseus, who journeyed home for ten years after the Trojan War ended. The great thing is, you don’t need to spend quite as long as he did if you choose to travel the same route.
A Perfect Way to Prepare for the New Odyssey Film
There’s a lot of interest in travel to Greece thanks to the popularity of Ancient Greek themes in popular culture. In recent years, there has been so much content across different media that has allowed more people to get into the age-old tales. For example, Stephen Fry modernised many Greek myths in his book series that began with Mythos in 2017. This was followed by Heroes, Troy, and Odyssey, with each book giving readers and listeners a full overview of the stories from that era.
On television, there have been numerous popular Ancient Greece-inspired works, with the BBC’s Troy: Fall of a City giving viewers an excellent retelling of the legendary war. There was also Kaos on Netflix, which featured Greek gods in a modern-day setting and a great performance from Jeff Goldblum as Zeus. In the gaming industry, Greek themes are also everywhere you look. For instance, Age of the Gods: King of Olympus is listed as one of the top Megaways slots on the market.
Now, with Nolan’s Odyssey around the corner, there’s a renewed interest in the crafty character’s journey home to Ithaca. His voyage was packed with stress and turmoil, but a modern-day adventure could be much more pleasurable.
What Would a Modern-Day Odyssey Look Like?
You don’t need to spend a decade sacking the city of Troy to start your own Odyssey. Adventurous travellers can venture to many of the same locations by simply imagining what it would have been like in Odysseus’s era. Many of the place names may have changed, but the lands and waters are still the same. That means you can see everything and imagine you’re viewing it from Odysseus’s perspective. Unlike him, though, you probably won’t encounter any gods.
If you were to start the journey from the same point as Odysseus, the ancient city of Troy is located in Hisarlik, Turkey. From there, the warrior’s fleet would have sailed through the Aegean Sea on its way back to Greece. To do this today, you’d have to charter a yacht. It would be a pricey ordeal, but there would be some stunning sights to see along the way.
To follow in Odysseus’s footsteps, you’d visit Polyphemus’ island, Circe’s island, Calypso’s island, and Odysseus’s home island. Historians have pinpointed these places to the modern locations of Sicily, Circeo National Park near Rome, Gozo in Malta, and eventually the Greek island of Ithaca. There are plenty of great spots to stay at each of these, but it would require a lot of careful planning to pull off.
Many modern travellers love to embark on adventures and challenges, and the original route of the Odyssey is one that would be ideal for a YouTube video series. You’d need a lot of time and money to make it happen, but it would definitely be worth it.
